I Don't Wanna be in Love
by Arabella Prince
Summary: After the tragic deaths of her 4 best friends, Rose, Alice, Emmett, & Jasper, as well as her ex, Edward, Bella attempts suicide. Leah Clearwater, her old enemy, saves her, and they become friends. What happens when they graduate and Leah invites Bella to live with her on the Rez? Will Bella fall in love with a certain black-furred Alpha? !SlowUpdates!
1. Just a Little More Heartbreak

"_Sometimes even to live is an act of courage." _

― _Seneca_

Bella couldn't believe it, she just couldn't. Her phone was still clutched in her slim-fingered hand, the dreaded picture still shining its taunting light. She began to run, out the door, into the darkened street, the only lighting that of the dim, flickering streetlights. This lack of light did not bother her, after three and a half years of walking to her boyfriend, Edward's, dorm, she knew the way blindfolded. Her slim legs, clothed only in the shortest of shorts, sped more swiftly than they had ever before, her ever-present clumsiness seemingly disappeared into the dark background. Yet, Bella did not notice this. All she could see was the dreadful image, seared into her brain. Tears were streaming down her face as she threw open the dorm building's door, it barely visible through the sheen of tears filling her once-joyful brown eyes. The petite girl raced up to the second story, climbing the stairs as ferocious as a star linebacker, her pace never faltering. In her head she counted the doors on the left side of the dull, colorless walls. One, two, three, four… _Five! _

Bella stopped in front of the deceivingly simple door, oh how well she knew what was behind that door was certainly not simplistic. She reached slowly towards the silver-plated handle and pushed it quickly open, her eyes barely squinting in the glare of the harsh fluorescent lights. She searched the living room quickly, looking everywhere. It was here that she heard the horrific sounds, slightly muffled, telling her the source was not in this room. She raced to the left, down a short hallway with only three doors down it, her eyes set on the farthest one. It was closed, she could see from here. To the door she ran, unsure and truly terrified of what she could find, if the text she had gotten were true. This door belonged to her beloved Edward, his room lay behind it, the holder of so many peaceful memories. She clutched to these memories, ones of play-fighting on the bed, giggles escaping her lips, her face red from the exertion. She remembered sitting on the couch, listening to classical music, simply content to be sitting in his arms. As she reached for the door, she thought of how he had held her only weeks before, after the loss of his adopted sisters and Bella's best friends. He had tears in his eyes, but Bella's were streaming down, much like they were now. She gripped the doorknob, slowly turning it and throwing the door open.

The scene before her was horrific. There he lay, with that slut, entwined in a way that Bella had once hoped they would be, only after marriage, of course. The scene did not surprise the young girl, it only proved that the image she had received on her phone was no fake. No, he had truly cheated on her, after three years! Three happy years! And only weeks after the death of his sisters too, Bella's best friends! She could not imagine what had driven him to do this. After all, he had been the one who first brought up waiting until marriage. He had said they would be fine without sex, that they were in love, and other trivial things like sex could wait. Bella grew angrier and angrier, furious at the fact that he would do this to her! She stood in the doorway until he finally noticed her, shocked, but he did not look guilty.

"Oops," he said in mocking voice," looks like we're caught, baby."

At this, the slut he lay with, otherwise named Lauren Mallory, sat up, not caring that she was very inappropriately exposed. Bella was furious at her too! She had a boyfriend, Mike Newton, a sweet boy Bella had known all her life, when they had lived in Forks, Washington. They had both been the best of friends, and were overjoyed to know they had both gotten into Twilight Boarding School, a prestigious high school all the way in New York. When he had met Lauren and Bella had met Edward, they had remained friends, just from more of a distance, spending most of their time with their "significant other." How could Lauren do this to such a sweet boy as Mike? Bella stalked angrily into the room, careful to step over their carelessly thrown clothes. She walked right up to them, neither of them bothering to cover their "assets," not that either of them were particularly endowed with much, she noticed. Even so, Lauren smirked smugly at her while Edward looked simply uninterested.

Bella, anxious to escape the horrific sight, simply walked over, and slapped Lauren on her slutty, makeup-smothered face. After hearing the satisfying smack of skin on skin, she turned and did the same to Edward. She turned and walked quickly to the doorway. When she arrived she turned and looked over her shoulder, one hand on the doorframe.

"If it's not clear, we are so over Edward." She said with a smooth tone, effectively masking her hurt.

At this, he looked shocked. Bella knew he had been expecting some sort of breakdown from the shy little girl. In truth, all she wanted to do right now was curl up on the ground, rocking back and forth, nursing her broken heart, but she won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her so broken. She knew she had only two things left in this world, so to those two things she ran. They were only three doors down from Edward's dorm so she got to the door fairly quickly. She had stopped knocking years ago, she simply walked in. There they were, her two best friends, all that was left in the once strong family-like group formed freshman year. It seems this year is determined to tear them apart. What had once been six is now three, just Bella, Jasper and Emmett. Rosalie and Alice had been in this group before they died a few weeks ago. Emmett had been going out with Rosalie when she died and Jasper had been seeing Alice. Both had lost both a significant other and a sister in that fateful car crash for Jasper and Rosalie were twins and Emmett had been Alice's adopted brother since he was three and she was two. We had shared the pain, Edward had simply distanced himself after losing _his _twin, who was Alice.

While Bella reminisced, the boys had gotten up off the couch they had been sitting on, staring at the TV, unmoving. One look at Bella's tear-streaked face and they were both there, Emmett picking her up and bringing her to the large couch, Jasper sitting beside them. Emmett placed Bella between the two, waiting for her sobs to subside. Soon, she was hiccuping the story out, in between the tears. The pain was crushing her, inside her chest, she couldn't escape. The only things stopping her from running out the door, into the street, and in front of a car were the two boys on either side of her. She knew they would protect her from herself, hold her to the Earth. When she completed the story, both boys were furious, their eyes blazing protectively. Bella knew they wanted to throttle their friend -for Jasper- and brother - for Emmett. They contained themselves, though, they knew Bells, as they called her, did not condone violence, even against those who had hurt her.

They sat there throughout the night, Bella crying, the boys just holding her, whispering reassurances. When her sobs finally quieted, she fell into a deep slumber, the tears still flowing, leaving no doubt that she was reliving the night, even in her dreams. Emmett, being the size of a linebacker, picked her slim frame up easily, and carried her into his own bedroom, laying her gently on the unmade sheets, cautiously pulling the covers over her, anxious about waking her. Bells remained in her deep slumber, though, as he kissed her platonically in her forehead. Jasper followed in his large friend's footsteps, kissing her gently, whispering one last reassurance to the sleeping girl.

"You will always have us, little sister," he almost sighed, his Texan accent strong but soothing.

The next few weeks went monotonously for the poor girl. She avoided Edward's smug stare whenever possible, hiding behind her curtain of long mahogany hair, as if it were a bulletproof wall, protecting her from his piercing green eyes. Yet, no matter how Jas and Em attempted to protect her, he still found ways to whisper little comments to her, in the halls, at lunch, anywhere. Bella was horrified that she had once loved Edward, once though he was a gentleman, caring and sweet. The things he whispered killed her, again and again. He especially enjoyed bringing up Alice and Rosalie, knowing this was her weakness.

"They would be so disappointed in you, being such an awful girlfriend that I had to get satisfaction elsewhere," he whispered to her as she tried to hurry to her next class, AP Biology.

He especially loved to poke fun at all her little insecurities, for she had many. The poor girl had been certain she was nothing special, a plain Jane. That is, until she began dating Edward. He told her she was beautiful and she had begun to believe him, up until that night. Now, he turned his words around, telling her she was ugly, normal, nothing special. Somehow, Em and Jas never caught him in the act, and she couldn't bear to tell them about the comments. So, she suffered in silence. Eventually, after about a month, the boys thought Edward was sorry and forgave him. Bella couldn't bear to ruin their relationship by telling them the truth. So, when the boys planned a camping trip to the mountains, Bells was happy they were friends again, even if Edward's comments and looks were slowly killing her. She even helped Em and Jas pack, encouraging them to go and have fun.

She was sad to not be able to see them for a few days, but she felt they deserved a life outside of caring for some broken little girl. She hugged them both tightly as they got into Emmett's monster Jeep, all packed and ready to go. As they each hugged her, they whispered brotherly words into her ear, telling her how much they loved her, how she was their little sister and they would miss her. She brushed their concerns off, telling them they would only be gone for three days. She still told them she loved them, forever. She was almost crying as they left, but knew they needed to get out more, the deaths of the girls almost two months ago had killed their social lives so she knew they needed this. As they drove off, waving, Bella felt a sense of foreboding, but shrugged it off as nerves. She went back to her dorm room and fell asleep.

The next three days went by quickly, Bella anticipating the boys' return. Yet, the Monday they were supposed to get back on came and went. She called their phones multiple times, even Edward's. No answer. When that Wednesday came around, Bella called the mountain patrol, asking if they had picked up their car from where they had to park it before their hike. The kind lady who answered said it was still there. She asked a now-frantic Bella if she would like the patrol to send someone out to their campsite. Bella immediately accepted. The woman, who said her name was Ruth, told Bella they would send someone right away and would call her back within the hour. She hung up.

Bella sat anxiously, watching the clock, scared out of her mind. She knew she couldn't bear it if something had happened them, even Edward. Ruth called back exactly forty-three minutes and seventeen seconds since she hung up. The news was not good. She told her that the campsite had been torn apart by a sort of bear and that there was no evidence that anyone had survived. At this, the phone fell out of the young girl's shaking hands, her barely noticing the crack as it hit the tiled floor of the dorm bathroom she was in. As if in a daze, she began to walk out the door, into the living room, without pausing, she walked through, to the dorm door, half hoping the boys would pop from behind it and scream, "April Fools!" Sadly, for Bella, it was May, not April and the only thing behind that door was an empty hallway. So, she stepped slowly out the door, not even noticing the tears falling down her face. She turned left, towards the big glass door that led out to the dorm's parking lot. Out she went, into the fresh air, ignoring the fact that it was pouring rain outside, not to mention the fact that May in New York was not necessarily warm.

Across the parking lot she walked, subconsciously walking towards the bridge on the other side, going over the rushing river right behind the school. As she walked she was remembering the good ole days, back when no one had died, when she had a reason to live. She was certain no one would miss her, the plain girl in the back of the class. No one except her best friends, who she remembered - with a lash of pain - were all dead, knew that she was actually an orphan. That her mother had lied to her father, saying she was his daughter when in fact, she was a bastard child. When this information was revealed to her father, Charlie, he immediately denied any responsibility for her, basically disowning her. Her mother did the same, saying it looked bad on her new husband, Phil, who was a professional baseball player, to be housing a bastard child. So, the state sent her to Twilight, a prize-winning boarding school.

Bella realized that now, she really had no one left. He parents didn't want her, her friends were all dead, no siblings. She was useless, unwanted, just like Edward had said. By now, she had reached the bridge, and went to stand at the edge. She thought over all her losses and all her pain. She started to hear a screaming, loud and full of agony. In her detached state, it took her a second to realize it was actually her that was screaming, letting out all her torturous feelings inside. She collapsed, on her knees, holding her head, still screaming. The rain beat relentlessly on her exposed back, seeing as she was only wearing a tank top and some shorts.

Sobs replaced the screams as she realized what she had to do, what she needed to do. She stood slowly, carefully and stepped to the edge of the barrier, the only thing between her and the oblivion that was the raging river below. Bella climbed up and over it, standing on the smallest of ledges, nothing but air restraining her, holding her to this cruel earth. She began to let go of the barrier behind her, slowly, meticulously. She was so wrapped up in the moment of freedom, she didn't hear the screams from behind her, hear them getting closer and closer. As she began to fall off the edge, she fainted, the pain becoming too much, knowing she wouldn't wake up from this fainting spell, ever. And she began to drop, towards the rushing river, towards death.

As she was unconscious, Bella didn't feel the harsh pull on her arms as they were grabbed, feel the yank as her descent to the oblivion was halted, stopped. She didn't feel her bare upper back scraping slowly on the barrier as she was pulled back over to safety. She couldn't hear the feminine grunts as her savior used inhuman strength to give her a second chance at her miserable life. Bella couldn't see the face of her savior, the face of one she had once called her enemy. No, Bella could not notice all this, but she does not have to worry, for soon she will wake, in an unfamiliar room. She will meet her savior and she will set into motion a chain of events that may just bring happiness back to her miserable existence.


	2. A Year Without You, Dead

"_Raw love, like raw heartache, could blindside you." _

― _Jodi Picoult_

As she lays in bed at night, she cannot sleep, as usual. After almost an entire year, Bella is still not much better. She still longs for oblivion, for death. She cannot sleep without images of her lost friends. Sometimes she gets caught staring into the air, despair clear in her eyes. Yet, she almost lives again. With a perfect 4.0 and graduation two weeks away, she has a clear path to success ahead of her. Of course, this is all thanks to her unlikely savior, Leah. At the beginning of freshman year at Twilight, Bella found out that her old enemy from Forks, where her "father" lived -before he disowned her- had come to Twilight as well. This old enemy was the infamous Leah Clearwater. Bella had honestly no idea what Leah's problem was, but Leah apparently hated her, so what else could she do but hate back? After glares in the aisles of supermarkets since second grade, it was not as if they could just make up.

Unbeknownst to Bella, Leah was under the impression that Bella hated her, so she hated back. It was a bit of a misconception, but the two never talked so they just kept hating. But of course, when Leah is walking around her dorm one evening in her junior year, she can't help but hear Bella's cry of loss and agony and comes running. She started yelling to the girl she saw climbing over the barrier of the bridge. She raced towards her. Leah was stunned to see her old nemesis so broken. She had always thought Bella was a bit of a bitch - which was not true. Regardless of their past differences, Leah sped to the barrier, grabbing the slim girl just as she began to fall. Little did she know, she would be very glad she did.

Of course, it was not easy to haul the girl back over. But it was done, with great grunts of exertion, she pulled the now unconscious girl to safety. Not wanting to call the cops and have them take the poor girl to a mental asylum, Leah simply picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to her dorm. Contrary to popular belief, Leah was not heartless. She also knew of Bella's parentless state, her father having been friends with Charlie, Bella's ex-father. Her father, of course, did not agree with the police chief's choice to simply abandon the child. Therefore, he terminated his friendship with the fiend - his words - and ranted for weeks about it, all around the house, which in turn made Leah aware of her supposed nemesis's predicament. Were she a cruel person, she may have spread the information. She was not, however, and decided to keep the information to herself, believing strongly in the saying "Once you've lost your privacy, you realize you've lost an extremely valuable thing." So, she kept her mouth shut and simply ignored Swan, which was what she called Bella. While Leah had been reminiscing, she had actually made it back to her dorm, starting to struggle with the weight of the girl.

Somehow, Leah got a dorm by herself, which meant she had an extra bedroom. She took the petite girl in her arms into the rarely-used room and laid her on the double bed situated in the center of said room. She sat by the bed, waiting, until the girl woke up. When she finally awoke, Bella did not want to talk about why she jumped and Leah saw this as an opportunity to confront the girl about her hatred. Both girls were stunned to discover that their hatred was unwarranted. In an effort to get to know each other better and make up for "lost time," the girls decided to move in together in Leah's dorm. Of course, Leah still wondered what had driven the girl to suicide, but not wanting to upset Bella, she waited for her to bring it up herself.

Bella was not particularly happy about living in general, but was thankful that she had made a new friend, considering all hers were dead. She knew Leah was waiting for her to talk about the attempt, but Bella wanted to wait a bit. After gathering all her things and bringing them down to her new dorm, Bella realized she had to tell Leah now. They sat down on her bed in her new room. As she finished her story, Bella began to sob. Leah reached over and hugged the sobbing girl and they stayed there all night. After a few weeks of living together, the girls were already best friends. When Bella had to go to the boys' funerals, Leah came and held her upright when the sobs overtook her. Leah feared the young girl would never fully recover from what had happened to her in the past few months, but she knew she would do everything in her power to make her happy again.

Now, almost a year later, the two are inseparable. Bella was still sad, of course, but she had a great friend now, to help her through. As graduation loomed nearer on their horizons, the two worked tirelessly to achieve the best they could. Both were graduating with Honors, which they were overjoyed about. But Bella still had no idea what she was going to do. She had turned 18 the September before and was no longer under the school's or Social Services' care. She had no parent's home to go to and was planning to wait a year for college. She supposed she could work a few jobs here in the Big Apple and rent a small place out of town. She had a car, but it was an old gas-guzzler Chevy Pickup from the 50's. She was lost, but little did she know, Leah had a plan.

"Hey Bells, you should probably know that you are coming to live with me on the Rez this next year. No arguing. I already got you a job at the Newton's store, part time. And my cousin Jake can take a look at your piece of crap car too, he's a mechanic." Leah said in a commanding tone, leaving no room for argument.

Bella simply nodded her head, truly thankful for her one and only true friend. Anyways, she knew what Leah wanted, Leah got. Plus, she was excited to meet this boyfriend of hers, Paul was his name. Leah had told her all of the cool legends of the Quileute tribe she was part of on the reservation. Bella's own mother was actually Quileute, but had grown up in Phoenix, not on the reservation. Sometimes Bella wished she would have grown up on the Reservation, they sounded like one big family. The stories were amazing, too. All about werewolves and vampires or "Cold Ones." Leah had told her all about her Uncle Billy Black, who Bella had met a few times when visiting her ex-father. Apparently, Billy was a great storyteller, sharing stories about how people in the tribe were werewolves who protected them from vampires. Leah's brother, Seth, who Bella had met a few times over FaceTime, was a playful little kid, barely 14. Bella loved the kid, though, with his cheesy jokes and bad pickup lines. She was excited to finally meet him in person.

Thankfully, she knew Leah's parents, Harry and Sue, from visitation day, this year. Plus, she had also met Harry prior to the visit when visiting the ex-father, when she was ten or eleven. Yet, Bella was nervous. She hated to intrude on people's lives. She intruded on her ex-father's life and he disowned her. She intruded on her mother's new marriage and BAM orphaned. She made a group of friends and intruded on their rich, joyful lives and they wind up dead. Intruding in people's lives makes bad things happen and Bella didn't want to lose Leah, not after how good of friends they've become in the past year.

"Oh quit worrying. I have a feeling this will be good for you. Who knows, maybe you'll find yourself a boyfriend? The boys on the Rez are far from ugly, trust me, I grew up with them." Leah interrupted Bella's thoughts with an exasperated tone.

Bella highly doubted anyone would take an interest in her. See, Bella was gorgeous. High cheekbones, long mahogany hair, deep brown eyes, lightly tanned flawless skin, and a body most models would die for, she was the epitome of beauty. Yet, Edward's words still taunted her in her mind and she saw herself for what she was not, plain, ugly even. This made Leah want to throttle the guy, dead or not. He had made her into a shadow of herself, unconfident and untrusting. Leah truly hoped Bella would find a man who would show her how beautiful she truly was. Until then, she planned to keep telling her the truth: that she was perfect, loved, and beautiful. Anyways, Leah had a feeling that this mystery guy might be coming soon. Maybe it's one of the guys on the Rez. Leah's cousin, Emily, cheated on Leah's best guy-friend, Sam, that bitch. Maybe Sam and Bella could relate...hm.


	3. The Beginning of the End

_"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."_

― _Maya Angelou_

Bella sat alone in the back of the holding room where they had placed all the graduates. Most were milling around thoughtlessly, anxious about one of the biggest moments in their life, just around the corner. Literally, the auditorium was just around the corner, filled to its capacity with parents, siblings, and friends. While the auditorium was filled with an aura of excitement, the holding room was a different matter. Emotions were thrown everywhere, changing from nervousness to anxiousness, to fear to excitement. Bella sat in her little corner, observing the other students.

Focusing on the emotions, Bella was reminded of Jasper, who had been training to be a psychologist. He had an uncanny ability to easily sense the emotions of those around him. With a pang of sadness, she wished he could be here, so she could make fun of him for rushing around like a little nurse, trying to calm all the students down. She imagined Emmett, loud and boisterous, laughing his hearty laugh at his friend's antics. She could almost see Edward as he shook his bronze-haired head, hands clapped over his ears, trying to avoid going deaf from his massive brother's decibel.

She even imagined her two old best friends. Alice would be almost bouncy in her seat, having always been the hyper one, her energy seeming to be unending. Jasper would of course, come over and calm her down, just by laying a hand on her shoulder. Rosalie would be standing next to her bear of a long-time boyfriend, unaffected by his loud voice, just checking over her already perfect hair and makeup. Bella pictured Edward, standing next to her, having never cheated on her. They were holding hands and every few minutes, he would squeeze her hand and look at her in the eyes, place a small kiss on her lips, then turn back to watching his brother's antics.

The vision was, of course, interrupted. Bella had felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up into the eyes of her old friend, Mike Newton. After Lauren and Edward had cheated, the two of them had become a little closer. He simply smiled down at the girl, saddened by the fact that a girl who had once been so playful and happy had been reduced to this broken woman. Bella looked up at him and gave him a half-smile back, grateful that he had made it a point to see her today. She did not have many friends, but, other than Leah of course, Mike was the best friend she could have asked for.

"Ready, Bella? It is so hard to believe we are graduating. It seems like just yesterday I walked up to a small girl on the playground, asking her if she wanted to come swing with me." Mike said with a grin.

Bella smiled one of her rare smiles. She clearly remembered that day in the first grade, when Bella had still been living with the ex-father, just before her mother had run off to Phoenix, taking her daughter with her. The day she had left she had told Mike she wanted to see him when she came to visit. He had promised to be waiting. Bella smiled a bit wider when she remembered how Mike had waited on her front porch when she came to visit that summer. That summer had been so much fun.

"I am as ready as I will ever be, Mikey. I just hope I don't trip on my walk across the stage." Bella said softly, calling Mike his old nickname.

Mike laughed at both the nickname and Bella's jab at her own ever-present clumsiness. The poor girl could hardly walk most days, so her chances of making it across the stage were not favorable. After engaging in some small talk with Bella, Mike noticed his new girlfriend, Jessica Stanley, approaching from the side. They had begun going out a few months after Lauren had cheated. She was a much nicer girl than her predecessor and was actually coming home with him to Forks after the ceremony. The two waved farewell to Bella before rushing off to speak with a few other friends. The sudden absence of two of her limited friends hardy affected Bella, she was used to being alone, not that she preferred it to a good talk with Leah. Bella thought of the saying "speak of the devil," as Leah suddenly approached, looking stunning in her tight black dress. It was obvious to Bella that her best friend was hesitant to put on the hideous yellow robe over her very attractive -at least according to the looks she was getting from the boys- outfit.

"Hey, bitch. How can you stand sitting in a corner like this when you could be up and about, dazzling a few boys?" Leah questioned Bella as soon as she was within earshot.

The supposed insult did not bother Bella, the two girls always called each other such lovely terms of endearment. It was just a fact of their friendship. After the two had become friends, Bella had gained more than enough of what many had dubbed "Leah-tude." The term had been created by a few of Leah's old friends and had stuck with her throughout the years. After spending so much time with Leah, those who knew Leah could see it was only a matter of time before some of the spunky girl's tendencies rubbed off onto Bella. At her best friend's words, Bella sat up a little straighter and tried to fix her already perfectly curled hair. She was always struggling to feel good enough to hang out in such a beautiful girl's presence. Leah, of course, noticed this and did her best to reassure the girl that she was beautiful.

Once Bella had gotten up to stand beside Leah, the two began making their way across the room. Although Bella did not notice it, the crowd was actually parting for the two beauties, the guys staring and the girls jealous. As they made their way to the doors that lead to the auditorium, Bella stared at her small feet, which were, at the moment, encased in precariously teetering high heels. When the duo finally made their way to the doors, their path was suddenly blocked by a sickeningly thin girl. With the fake tan, fake hair, fake nails, fake everything, this was the one and only Lauren Mallory. She glared at the girls in what could have been considered a menacing way, had it not been met by two even more ferocious facial expressions. As they came to a stop, Leah and Bella shared a quick look. Smirking now, the two turned to look down at the roadblock, aka Lauren.

"Hm, it seems that we have to call the janitors, dearest Leah. This creature in front of us is just oozing slutiness all over these polished floors." Bella said slyly to her companion, who was snickering.

As the brunette spoke, a crowd gathered around the three girls. It was well-known that Lauren hated Bella and Leah. It was perhaps even more known that the duo felt the same towards Lauren. When those who were close enough heard Bella's comment, almost all of them started laughing. Only Lauren's goons, also known as Maria and Tanya, stayed silent, anger evident on their makeup-smeared faces. As the crowd gathered, the real fun was about begin and everyone knew it, save Lauren and her goons, they were too stupid.

"But Bella love, we don't want anyone to get too close could be contagious!" Leah stage-whispered loudly, after she had gotten control of her snickering.

At her statement, the crowd roared. It was no secret that nobody liked Lauren and her minions, otherwise known as the Sluts. The only people who were unaware of this fact were the Sluts, they thought they were popular. When she heard Leah's words, just like she was meant to, Slut number one was enraged.

"I heard that," Lauren said in a nasally voice that made those nearest her cringe.

This, of course, sent the crowd into another round of laughter at her stupidity. Tanya, who was not quite as stupid as her friends, whispered to Lauren. At Lauren's newly red face, Bella knew she had explained that Lauren that she was meant to hear. Huffing loudly, Lauren turned and began to walk away, her goons following her like lost puppies.

"Be careful not to put too much more makeup on, Lauren." Bella cautioned in a snide voice. "Any more and you might have to use a paint chipper to get it all off!"

At this, the crowd, which had just begun quieting down, almost collapsed with laughter. At Lauren's reaction, which was to speed up her path to the bathroom, hiding a tomato red face, half the crowd did collapse, the laughter too much to bear. Bella and Leah just stood there smugly, not even feeling bad. Lauren had, after all, not only cheated on Mike and been the person Edward cheated on Bella with, but had also been a major bitch to the duo since they became friends. She was no match for the wit of one of them, much less the two when they were together. She did not realize this, of course, and kept coming back for more. Thank God she lived in New York with her parents, meaning there was almost no possibility the girls would ever see her again after today.

The crowd had finally calmed down, the small talk from before the entertainment returning to the room, filling it with a soft hum of voices. The two brunettes continued on their path to the door, making it there with no further distractions. They stepped out into the hallway that separated the auditorium and the waiting area. Finally out of view of prying eyes, the two embraced.

No words needed to be spoken between the two. For both girls, having the other next to them was an announcement came over the speaker, asking that families report to the auditorium and students return to the waiting room, the two turned back down that hall. Entering the waiting room, they stood by the door. When the principal came into the room, the two walked with everyone else to the auditorium. Just before they entered the room, the two looked to each other, ready to confront their new lives, together.


	4. A Little Bit Better

"_And the danger is that in this move toward new horizons and far directions, that I may lose what I have now, and not find anything except loneliness" _

― _Sylvia Plath_

To be honest, the beginning of her graduation ceremony was a blur to Bella. Sitting with the "S" group near the back, she barely heard the valedictorian's speech through the excited murmuring that was echoing throughout the large auditorium. When the principal finally got back to the podium and the first name (Warren Arters) had been called, she began to pay a little more attention. Due to its prestigious reputation, Twilight Boarding School had a small graduating class of 145, from the 150 who had come to the school in freshman year. The missing 5 students were none other than Bella's old friends and ex. Although it should have only been four, but Emmett, brother of Alice and Edward and beau of Rosalie, had failed the third grade and was therefore in the same grade as his girlfriend and siblings, even though he was a year their elder. At this thought, Bella became sad, even on this notoriously joyous day.

Leah noticed this, as always, even considering she was so far away, sitting with the "C" group, situated nearly on the other side of the room. She turned around to look —no, glare— at her friend, silently telling her she better be happy or she'd regret it. Thankful for her friend, the young brunette pushed all thoughts of her former friends from her mind, focusing instead on the matter at hand, the dreaded graduation. She actually ended up sort of tuning the whole thing out, only paying attention to the C's (for Leah) then later the N's (for Mike). Before she knew it, she was standing up, along with Jessica, whose last name was Stanley, placing the two right next to each other, Jessica before Bella. As they walked toward the podium in a straight line, the latter was struck with the realization that she was _graduating_. A year ago, she would have never thought she'd make it to graduation without her friends, yet here she was. As Jessica was called up, Bella prepared herself for her own fateful walk across that fabled stage.

"Bella Swan, graduating with Highest Honors," called the enthusiastic voice of the school secretary, Ms. Cope.

Bella walked up the steps to the stage, focusing on not tripping over her long robe or stumbling in her heels. She finally made it to the principal who handed her a rolled up diploma, complete with the red ribbon in the middle, tying it shut. Clutching this in her slender hand, she sighed a great sigh of relief, smiling genuinely at the principal—who was surprised, having only seen the girl frown. Hurrying across the remaining stage length—thankfully foregoing any embarrassing stumbles— Bella stepped off the stage, only to be met by a warm mass of bodies. Not only Leah, Mike, and Jessica, but also a few other friends including Tyler Crowley, Anna Marrt, and Carrie Smith hugged her tightly. Completing the group, Jessie Turner joined, having followed Bella across the stage. Except for Mike, Bella, Leah, and Jessica, they would all be heading to opposite sides if the country. Finally releasing each other, they all smiled widely, even Bella.

As the final student was called (Andrew Zyger) and the principal announced the graduating class of 2006, the group of friends joined the rest of the graduating class in the cliche throwing-of-the-caps. Of course, though they never show it in the movies, everyone now had to find a cap their size off the ground, considering they were rentals. Soon, everyone had migrated outside, bar a few stragglers, to the big parking lot where everyone was returning their rentals. Once Leah and Bella had gotten rid of those "hideous fashion atrocities" (Leah's words), they were on their way to a nearby diner where they would meet up with Leah's family. This had been arranged because they had expected it to be a bit too crowded to find each other in the pandemonium that was the school and boy were they right! It took the two girls a full ten minutes to finally make it to Leah's car, which they were taking to the meeting, considering Bella's was filled with all of their possessions for the lurking move.

Finally getting into the 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, a.k.a. Sex on Wheels, they were on their way at last. As they were driving away, Bella did her daily ritual of feeling all over the dashboard of the beauty. Being friends with Emmett and Rosalie for a few years had gotten her more than enough knowledge about cars and as soon as she'd seen a picture of one of these babies, she'd been enamoured. Imagine her surprise when she discover Leah drove one, in perfect condition! Naturally, she worshipped it. Once her little ritual was done and Leah had finished laughing at her for the thousandth time, Bella spoke.

"Wow. Can you believe it Lee-Lee? We graduated! We actually did it!" She almost whispered in a careful tone, as if she were afraid it was all a dream.

Leah turned her eyes from the road to look at her best friend. Seeing Bella in such elation at having made it this far, Leah was so happy, she was almost in tears. Never had she seen Bella like this. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, she was getting better, after all this time.

"I know Bella-Boo. Who woulda thunk the two of us would be _graduating_? Just think, soon we'll be on our way to college. But, until then, I can't wait for you to meet the gang back home! They will love you!" Leah replied, elated at the fact that she was going back home, and bringing her best friend with her.

Bella simply nodded, although smiling, to show Leah she understood. Leah knew she was thinking about her old gang of friends, but knew from experience that mentioning it would not bring a good outcome. Luckily, they had just arrived at the diner and Bella seemed to snap out of it. The two got a few looks, mainly from men, as they got out of the car, at which Leah smirked. Soon, a tall russet-skinned boy came running from across the parking lot. He slowed his entrance as he neared, but still knocked the breath out of Leah when he plowed into her with a hug that would put most bears to shame.

"Seth… Ah… Can't… Breath…" Leah managed to squeak out, despite her lack of breath.

The boy, Seth, finally let her go. Leah looked her younger brother up and down, having not seen him since she went to school, as they stayed year-long and he had not been able to come for visitation. He had grown, a lot, so she told him just that. He laughed heartily at his big sister, who had grown quite a bit herself. He was distracted by something over her shoulder though, and stopped, mid-laugh. As Leah turned to see he was staring at Bella, he rushed over and gave her a hug that might have rivaled the one he gave Leah. Bella handled it like a champ, though, as Emmett used to hug her like that all the time, the big teddy bear. She was, however, surprised, at the boy's enthusiasm. As he let her go, she realized that she had begun to see her as a little brother over all of their conversations over FaceTime with Leah. It appeared the relationship was mutual as platonic feelings seemed to pour out of the hug. Her guess was solidified at his next statements.

"You look hotter in person, Bells," he said loudly, making her blush beet-red. "As your self-appointed little brother, I gotta protect you now, okay?"

_Gets right to the point, doesn't he? _Bella wondered as she hugged him tightly and told him that wouldn't be necessary. He scoffed at her, knowing her confidence issues from conversations with Leah. They turned back towards Leah, seeing that she was hugging her father, her mother standing slightly behind. Soon, her parents traded places and Leah was hugging her mother with ferocity. Bella looked at their relationship longingly, wishing her own mother had loved her.

"Why don't I get a hug like that, Lee?" Harry, her father, whined, reminding Bella that her own father would never speak to her like that again.

Leah just giggled and let her mother go. Seth and Bella walked back over now, latter walking slightly behind the former. As they approached however, Bella stepped out from behind the massive boy who dwarfed her 5' 10". As soon as Mrs. Clearwater, or Sue as she insisted she be called, saw Bella, her eyes lit up and she rushed over to hug the young girl she had begun to think of as another daughter, despite the scarcity of their meetings. She hugged her tightly, surprising Bella much like Seth had. Bella was even more surprised when Sue was replaced by Harry, considering Harry used to be a good friend of her ex-father's.

"Just for the record, your father and I are no longer friends, due to his treatment of you. I want you to know that you are now considered a part of our family. Welcome home, daughter." Harry whispered in her ear, as if reading her mind.

Tears clouded over Bella's vision as he spoke. She hugged him tighter and whispered a soft thank you into his ear. They released each other, Bella wiping her tears away, surprised to see Harry had a few of his own. The newly-formed family all exchanged simple pleasantries before turning to walk into the restaurant. As Bella went back to the car to get her purse, though, she couldn't help but feel the shock of hope that ran through her body. She thought, as she walked through the doors to rejoin her family, that life might just get a little better.


	5. A New Home, A New Start

_"Pain and suffering are the soil of strength and courage."_

― _Lurlene McDaniel_

After lunch with the Clearwaters, Bella was feeling much better about the impending move. They were moving all of their possessions in their cars, although they were not going to be driving them. The school had hired a bunch of people to drive their cars and other possessions back to wherever they came from. After she found this out, Bella knew she could never say it didn't pay to go to one of the most expensive schools in the country. Anyways, as she kissed her trusty truck goodbye, literally, and handed her keys to the mover, she was relieved to not have to drive the 3,026 mile drive. It would have taken a regular car almost 45 hours, but at her truck's top speed, it could have taken her much longer than that. She felt bad for the poor guy who had to drive that long path.

As soon as she got onto the bus that would take her to the airport, Bella began to feel nervous. She had never been to Leah's house and only been to the Reservation once or twice, only to go to Billy's—Leah's Uncle—house. She knew her mother had been born there, but she had never really inquired about it. After all, her mother had grown up in Phoenix, so there were no memories or anything to be shown to Bella. Finding Leah alone in a seat towards the back of the bus, Bella plopped down in her seat, still lost in thought.

"Earth to Bella! Hello?! Bitchface, wake the fuck up!" Leah almost shouted, earning herself a few stares from those unused to the girl's behavior.

The last call was what pulled Bella from her thoughts as she turned to face her best friend. With one look into her eyes, Leah knew what was troubling her friend. She hated that Bella had to be reassured so much. It did not bug her at all, no, but it made her angry at Edward. He had, after all, instilled this cautiousness into the girl. Grabbing her by her slim shoulders, Leah pulled Bella around to face her.

"Stop being so nervous, love. You already know my family loves you. I just know the gang will love you, and anyways, you'll fit in perfectly. After all, you already look like you're from the Rez, and at least half of you is Quileute. So, quit worrying and be excited for once!" Leah half-screamed at her best friend, trying to make her understand.

Bella considered her best friend's words. What she said about her being half Quileute was true. Thank the heavenly beings that she was not some pale-skinned blonde girl! She would have stood out like a beacon among the russet-skinned, black-haired Native Americans. Hell, she might've even been full Quileute, if only she knew who her father was. That struck the raven-haired girl with a sudden idea.

"Lee-lee, quiet down. I wanna do something." Bella said softly to her riled-up companion.

Bella quickly whispered the plan to Leah, which in turn made her get a devilish glint in her eyes. Grabbing her phone, Leah quickly dialed the number Bella had rattled off to her. Bella screamed at the bus to shut up as Leah put the phone on speaker. Everyone listened in silence to the ringing looking nervously at each other, confused as heck. When a chirpy voice picked up on the other end with a high-pitched "Hello?" Leah began smirking.

"Mrs. Dwyer. It has come to our attention that your child, under the name Bella Swan, was incorrectly registered as the biological daughter of a Mr. Charles Swan. We request that you divulge the name of the true father for official records. Otherwise, legal actions will have to be taken." Leah said, still smirking, in an official tone.

The bus began giggling for a moment, at Renee's stuttering that ensued after Leah's reprimand. They were silenced with a sharp look from Bella, who was smirking widely. After sharing a conspiratorial wink, Bella and Leah turned back to the phone, from which the stuttering was still emitting clearly.

"Mrs. Dwyer, I need an answer. Normally, legal action would be immediately take, but considering your husband's recent success, we wouldn't want this to go public."

Silence. That was what came from the other line. The two girls waited, the entire bus now tuned in on their conversation. They had learned of Bella's parent situation since after Edward and Bella broke up. That bastard had told the whole school in an attempt to hurt Bella. It had been funny for Bella to watch. Instead of shunning her, many people pitied her and felt bad for her, wanting to help "in any way they could." As they all listened in to the conversation, they were all rooting for Bella to discover her true father. The silence from the other line was broken by the unusually small voice of Renee.

"Lahote… That's his last name. I don't know his first, but he has a son named Paul." Renee said this all in a rush, then the dial tone was heard, signaling she had hung up.

Angry muttering broke out on the previously silent bus. She had not even known his first name! Luckily, the people on the bus were decent people and did not tease Bella over this new information. No, they were all angered at her mother. "That slut," was heard multiple times throughout the bus. Leah was still holding the phone in her hand, shocked. Bella was angry. Very angry. She could not believe her mother. She had not even known the guy's name. The last name sounded familiar. She knew the name Paul Lahote. But from where? At this time, Leah was out of her frozen shock. She turned excitedly to her best friend.

"OMG Bella! Your half-brother is my boyfriend, Paul!" Leah almost shouted.

Bella was frozen, not only was she full Quileute, but she had a half-brother, who her best friend also happened to be head over heels for. Her joy at the realization was followed by fear, however, when she realized an important fact.

"L-Leah, they are gonna hate me. My mom had an affair with his dad." Bella stuttered out, terror clear in her eyes.

Leah immediately turned to her best friend. Then, she startled the terrified girl by laughing. Yes, laughing. As in full-out laughing in her face, doubled-over, can't-catch-your-breath laughing. Bella waited, stunned, until she finally calmed down enough to get words out.

"Bell… Bella… They could never hate you. Anyways, Paul's parents were never married and Cameron—that's his dad's first name—sleeps with all sorts of women. He's the bad guy, don't worry. They kicked him off the Rez years ago. We have a few more of his kids there, all from different mothers. You'll be fine." Leah said, finally getting control of her giggles by then.

What Leah had said was true, though. She was almost positive that around a tenth of the kids on the Rez were Cameron's. Anyways, by this time the bus had gotten to the airport and the two were running through the airport to their flight, which was set to leave three minutes ago. They got there just in time. Hurrying to their seats, Bella sat down, got comfortable, and was out like a light before the plane even took off. Leah just laughed and pulled a blanket over her friend, pulled out her iPod, and sat back for the long flight.

When they neared the end of their long plane trip, and the captain was announcing the unnecessary weather—they already knew it was raining, it's always raining here—Leah woke Bella up. The two grabbed their carry-ons, then began walking arm-in-arm, through the crowded airport, Leah's aura of confidence seeming to part the crowds. Since all their stuff was coming in a few days via their cars, the two had no checked bags, so they continued on through the airport.

When they neared the entrance, Bella heard a loud ruckus and craned her neck to see who was making such noise. As they cleared the massive crowd of people exiting the gate, Bella saw it was a group of around ten—it was later revealed to be only 9—massive russet-skinned teenaged boys. Some looked to be around 13 or 14, while others could have been in their early twenties. As Bella saw Seth Clearwater in the mix, she realized that this was their little welcome party, or, as Leah called them, the gang.

As the duo neared the rambunctious group, Sue and Harry were visible from behind the crowd, but just barely. The group quieted down as they began to stare at the two approaching girls, most looking at Bella, considering all but Paul thought of Leah in only a sisterly manner. Seth was the first to move, having seen Bella's stunning beauty several times before, and as he had told her at the diner, thought of her as another sister. He raced across the room, much like he had in the diner parking lot, and grabbed Leah in a bear hug.

"Hey… Seth… I just saw you three days… ago…" She managed to squeeze out with her limited amount of breath. Seth set her down and looked at her.

"Yeah, but I still missed you. And you're finally home now. And Belly doesn't mind my hugs." Seth said, reaching for Bella towards the end.

She jumped readily into his arms, hugging him tightly. He whispered a "welcome home" into her ear before squeezing her slim body again. He set her down gently, next to his over-dramatic sister, who was miming broken ribs.

"I don't know how you do it Bella. I have been getting his hugs for years and I still can't get used to them." Leah said jokingly.

The other boys were still staring at Bella— minus Paul, who was staring at Leah— making Bella blush. Paul was next to move as he rushed over and picked up his girlfriend, spinning her around. The love in their eyes was so clear and joyous, Bella had to look away, tears in her eyes. Oh how she longed for Edward to be back here, looking at her like that.

As Paul finally set Leah down, the rest of the group rushed over, hugging the girls, greeting Leah and introducing themselves to Bella. The latter was working hard to remember all their names. Paul was easy, he had a distinctive look to him and he was also the only one with a short haircut, the rest having long locks. Bella could actually see a little resemblance between the two. Jared was the second biggest boy, and had the longest hair, longer than Bella's. Collin and Brady were hard to tell apart from each other, but were the smallest two out of the whole group.

Jacob was easy to remember because Bella had known him since the two were kids. Embry and Quil were pretty non-descript, looking like twins, but at the same time looking a lot like everyone else. Talk about confusing. Seth was as easy to remember as Paul and Jacob, since Bella had known him for a while.

Lastly, there was Sam. Bella thought he was the most gorgeous. With his long raven hair and his deep blackened eyes, Bella felt herself immediately become drawn to him. He seemed the oldest out of the bunch, and was also the biggest. He smiled slightly when he introduced himself. The thing Bella noticed most about him, however, was what was behind the eyes and the hair and the lovely as fuck body. She saw a bit of herself behind his calm facade. She saw the pain of heartbreak and loss, the agony of betrayal. It was surprising, but strangely welcoming. Bella felt as if she could compare to him, in a way.

As he grabbed her bag for her and began helping her walk to the car—all while catching her several times as she tripped—Bella couldn't help but feel a possibility lurking beneath the horizon. Maybe she could move on. And maybe, just maybe, Sam could help her do so.


	6. New Places, New Chances

_Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day._

—_Dalai Lama_

Bella supposed she should have been surprised by the parade of cars brought to the airport, but she truly had expected it. Not only were there almost 15 people to transport, but over half of those people were above six feet, making it a bit hard to find appropriate room for them. As it turned out, the gang had already decided how to split everyone up.

Sue and Harry took their small Honda. Collin and Brady rode with Jacob in his '67 Chevy Camaro—which he did not hesitate to mention he had built himself. Embry had a his old but well kept, black Honda motorcycle. Quil, Jared and Paul rode in the latter's bright green 1973 Ford Mustang Fastback—which Bella admired generously, though it did not compare to Leah's '65. Those who were left—Seth, Sam, Leah and Bella— rode in Sam's cherry-red 1965 Chevy Impala.

Were she not so nervous, Bella might have made a joke about all the 'Sex on Wheels' around these La Push boys. As it was, she decided to just save it for later, when she could get Leah alone. That didn't stop her from gazing readily at all the classic beauties, her panties probably getting a little wet in the process. Her gaze was torn from the other cars, though as she saw the pristine inside of Sam's Impala. She sat in the back with Leah as Seth claimed the front seat.

Left sitting behind Sam, Bella stole a small glance in the mirror just over his shoulder, wanting to catch a glimpse of his face. When she looked, though, she was shocked to meet his eyes. Blushing furiously, she looked down, certain he was confused as the why the shy, awkward girl behind him kept staring. Leah nudged her softly, making her look up. Raising an eyebrow, Leah silently questioned her friend's sudden coloring. Bella simply mouthed "later" to her before looking out the window.

Watching the passing scenery, Bella was quickly saddened for several reasons. As they passed the old church, she was reminded of her old friend Angela, who she had lost contact with. She regretted having lost touch, and figured her old buddy probably hated her now. A nudge in the side pulled Bella's mind from both the memories and her eyes from the scenery. Turning to face Leah, who had shoved her, the ebony-haired beauty gave her friend a puzzled look. This look, however, disappeared as soon as Bella heard a song playing over a radio she had not noticed Sam had turned on.

It was the two girl's absolute favorite song, Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas, had just come on! Bella's worries and nervousness dissipated as the two began to sing along, quite loudly. Seth joined in after a second, having been instructed by the two to check the song our months ago, via FaceTime. Sam simply looked amusedly at his comrades. By the time the song was over, the procession had reached its destination.

Now, Bella had been well aware that Leah's family had plenty of money—mostly from good investments and a successful hiking gear company. That said, she was still awed by the sheer size of her friend's house. At least three stories tall, the monstrosity had a full wraparound porch, layered gables on all three levels, and several massive, ornately framed windows. Despite the size, however, the house retained a welcoming, homely look, mainly due to the wood-cabin-like feel of the design.

Getting out of the Impala, Bella was greeted by the moist air of the Olympic Peninsula, having been far too distracted by Sam to appreciate it before. Surprised by how much she had missed it, she took a moment to bask in it, having hated New York's brisk cold since freshman year. The entourage soon headed inside, after the oversized men had stretched their cramped legs.

If Bella had thought the outside of the house was pretty, the inside was beautiful. With dark hardwood, slightly lighter wood-paneled walls, and dim but still sufficient lighting, the place seemed to exude comfort. The group—bar Embry, who had to go to work—seated themselves comfortably in the spacious living room. Small talk was non-existent as the big family-like party launched swiftly into stories of what Leah had missed while she was gone.

Surprisingly, Bella did not feel the least bit uncomfortable, and, when asked, immediately launched into detailed and engaging stories of the two girls' senior year. Hands waving animatedly, she told of their prank on the boring History professor. Bella did not dare to look at Sam, who sat close by, for fear of stuttering. If she had spared a glance, though, she would have seen the russet-skinned man's entranced stare as he watched the broken beauty with a hopeful glint in his eyes.


	7. Falling in too Deep

_Sometimes quiet people really have a lot to say…they're just very careful about who they open up to._

—_Susan Cafe_

After an extensive, yet still engaging conversation with the whole of the "gang," which led late into the night, Bela was shown to her room by a somehow still-enthusiastic Seth. Heading up the second flight of stairs, Bella was surprised to see Embry—who had returned from work—Paul, Collin and Brady following them. Turning to Seth, she gave him a questioning glance.

"Everyone in the gang has a room here, if ever they want, or need, it," he told Bella in a definitive tone.

She simply nodded her head in response, slightly embarrassed, though there was no reason to be. Seth finally stopped at the top floor of the house, turned to his right, and led Bella to the room at the end of the hallway. As he opened the door, Bella gasped at the beauty of the room.

It had the same rich hardwood as the rest of the hose, as well as the wooden paneling that Bella loved. A massive wooden four-poster bed dominated the room, covered in a beautiful crimson comforter. In one corner of the room, there was a sturdy dresser, matching both the bed and a sizable bookshelf on the other side of the room. On the far side of Bella's new paradise, there was a huge window, draped with crimson curtains matching the bedspread. A simple window-seat sat below the window sill, inviting Bella to grab one of her many, many books, curl up, and never leave.

"I take it that you like it? Leah had Mom set it up as soon as she told her you were coming," Seth told her, chuckling.

Awed that someone would ever do so much for little-old-Bella, she jumped into Seth's arms, hugging him tightly. Murmuring thanks repeatedly, tears were brought to her eyes, her being truly moved. A small chuckle from behind Seth scared Bella and she immediately released him, leaning to look around his large frame.

And there, standing in the doorway, was the man of her newest fantasies himself, Sam. Behind him stood Leah, Sue, and Paul. Racing around Seth, who feigned hurt at her dismissive action, Bella gathered Leah and Sue into a massive hug.

"Thank you, thank you… you didn't have to… It's amazing, too much. So beautiful…" She managed to stutter through her tears of thankfulness.

At the moment, Bella couldn't even care less that Sam was in the room. No one had ever truly taken care of her. When she lived with her mother, she had always had to be the adult. From a young age, she was reminding her mother to do everything from pay the bills to feeding the dog—which happened to die from hunger when Bella was away at her ex-dad's.

The gratitude she felt in this moment was so overwhelming, she felt as if she could collapse. Eventually, Leah and her mother separated themselves from the girl and she was half-carried into the bedroom. Sam, who had carried her in, laid her gently upon the massive bed and tucked her underneath the silken sheets. The others watched the scene with knowing smiles installed upon their faces.

Sam, however, was oblivious, only noticing the others as they left the room. He did take this chance, though, to softly grace the now sleeping girl's forehead with the most tender of kisses. He then walked slowly to the doorframe, turning before he left the room, to catch one last glimpse of the sleeping beauty before he left.


	8. Don't Stop Me Now

"_Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."_

—_Martin Luther King Jr._

The weeks seemed to pass quickly, never a boring moment. Bella grew closer and closer to the gang. By the second week of her new life, it was as if she had lived with the gang her whole life. She fit right in, joining in with the playful banter by day two. Of course, there were some negative effects. Well, if you could call them that. Bella gained quite the vocabulary, completely dispelling her so-called good girl demeanor, as if Leah hadn't already done that.

But she was happy, that was for certain. She was as happy as she had ever been, though it pained her to admit it. She was as happy as she had been with her old friends, with Edward, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie. It was a new experience, nonetheless, to feel the love of her new family.

Speaking of family, she had yet to run into her ex-father. She had not left the Rez, for fear of doing just that. Instead, she confined herself to the miniscule diner, run-down gas station, and houses of the Reservation. This was plenty for her, though, having never been one to reach too far outside of her comfort zone. She was happy.

Relationships rose all around her as beautiful as a fresh Washington sunrise. Bella found a new father in both Harry Clearwater and Billy Black, the latter having also 'disowned' Charlie. They comforted her when she was sad and joked with her when she was not. They were the perfect fathers, blood or not. A mother she found in Sue Clearwater, as it was in the kind woman's nature. She was her confidant, her rock.

Bella found brothers in hordes. Collin, Brady, and Seth became her younger siblings, despite the fact that they were bigger in size. Quil, Embry, and Jacob were like her twins. In fact, around the reservation, people comically referred to the four of them as the quintuplets. Jared was the older brother she had always wanted, watching out for her even when she didn't need it, loving her as if they had grown together.

Paul was her older brother as well. At first, Bella had been hesitant around her supposed half-brother. Soon, though, he managed to get her alone and talk it out. The two were soon inseparable. It turned out they both had quite the dirty sense of humor, always able to bring a laugh to the entire group—and perhaps a sharp look from Sue.

Of course, Leah was still Bella's sister, but back at the Reservation, their friendship only grew into a more beautiful thing. They seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking and knew just what to say. They watched out for each other, and protected each other from the hordes of teenaged boys they had surrounded themselves with.

Last but not least, Bella had grown closer to Sam. The attraction between the two was obvious, glaringly so. Yet the two remained oblivious to the other's affection, promptly driving the rest of the group insane. That said, the two still became best friends. They were often seen joking around with each other, laughing until tears. During the weekly movie nights, Bella was often seen sitting in Sam's lap, a contented smile upon both their faces. The two were normally caught under the hood of someone's car, fixing things here and there, effective and friendly. They soon became the go-to for any auto problems on the Rez and even for a few people from Forks. 

If not under the hood of a car, though, the two were seen all over the Rez, Bella often upon Sam's back, just walking and talking. Bella soon told him of her high school heartbreaks and losses, Sam comforting her more than she could have ever hoped. She began to come to terms with their deaths. Some would even say she was moving on. Of course, she would never forget her first true family, but Bella knew it was time to let them go. And during this whole time, Bella's affection for Sam only grew into something she feared might be love.

But now, we meet Bella and Sam, just outside the Reservation's limits. Bella had finally decided to take a step towards a better life and stop living in fear. She was leaving the Rez for the first time since she and Leah had gotten here, almost a month ago. And who better to take her but Sam?

Of course, she was terrified. A strange sense of foreboding had haunted her throughout the day, but she shook it off as nerves. It was only to go get a part from the Forks Auto Shop, just a few miles off the Reservation's border. Still, she feared seeing her ex-father, his betrayal still fresh in her mind.

They finally parked the car, Sam coming over to open her door, just as he always did. He grabbed her hand, walking into the shop, the door ringing as they opened it. An older man rushed in from the back, a gentle smile upon his weathered face.

"Welcome, welcome. My name's Jim. How may I help you?" He asked in a soft voice.

Sam told him their part they had ordered was supposed to be in and the old man's eyes brightened.

"Ah, so you are the people who have been stealing all of my La Push business, eh?" Jim asked with a wink that said it was nothing bad.

Sam and Bella laughed lightly, slightly embarrassed. Just then, the door behind them was opened and a gush of moist air was thrown at them. The duo turned to look behind them as Jim's smile dimmed. Sam saw the newcomer first and abruptly pulled Bella in front of him, out of the new customer's vision. Just before he pulled her around, though, Bella's breath quickened. She had seen who it was. She'd recognize that police chief's uniform anywhere. Charlie was here.


	9. Getting Worse

"_Pain is weakness leaving the body."_

—_Chesty Puller._

Previously: _Just then, the door behind them was opened and a gust of moist air was thrown at them. The duo turned to look behind them as Jim's smile dimmed. Sam saw the newcomer first and abruptly pulled Bella in front of him, out of the new customer's vision. Just before he pulled her around, though, Bella's breath quickened. She had seen who it was. She'd recognize that police chief's uniform anywhere. Charlie was here._

The stout man walked purposefully towards Jim's desk. His stature, though stiff, portrayed a deep arrogance about him. Charlie walked all the way up to the front of the desk, not even glancing towards the other two occupants of the room. Still, Sam was careful to maneuver the slightly stunned girl so she remained out of the vicious man's sight. Giving Jim a meaningful look, Sam slow began to inch towards the exit doors, while keeping Bella hidden easily behind his massive frame.

"Jim. What the hell is that stupid bitch's truck doing in front of your shop? I thought I told you to let me know if she was back in town…" Charlie berated the older man in a demeaning tone.

Through Charlie's tirade, Sam had managed to push Bella into the women's restroom. She hid right behind the door, listening closely through the thick wood. Meanwhile, Sam craftily moved back to beside the desk, completely escaping Charlie's notice until he was immediately beside him.

"Excuse me, Chief… But that would be my friend's truck." Sam interjected before Jim had time to speak. "That beautiful girl who owns it is the sweetest and kindest person I had ever met, even after so many had been angry and hateful towards her… She is amazing and perfect. It is a privilege to even know her, a reward to be her friend. If this is the bitch you're referring to, I'd ask you to shut up and quit lying to yourself. Also, I'd request that you'd wait your turn to speak to Jim as my friend and I are attempting to pick up a part for ourselves. Please and fucking thank you."

Charlie was stunned into silence, his mouth opened in the classic o-shape… Then turned and walked right to the women's restroom, opening the heavy door with a swift motion. A stunned Bella was revealed, eyes wide and mouth open. Charlie's face immediately turned a strange shade of purple, puce if you may. He was furious and it was obvious. Bella immediately skittered across the floor into the safety of Sam's arms, looking similar to a frightened cat.

"What the hell?!" Charlie demanded in a harsh tone, "Why are you back here? Didn't the state send you off to some stupid boarding school? Are you skipping out on your school? I could have you arrested and thrown right into one of those foster homes! I'll make sure you get a bad one, you ungrateful bitch!"

His harsh words, meant to frighten her further, had the opposite effect as Bella straightened her back and stepped away from Sam with a purpose. She raised her head high as a fierce look overtook her elegant face.

"I graduated, Charlie, almost a month ago. And I turned eighteen almost ten months ago. You'd know that, were you a good enough father to remember my birthday. You'd have no grounds for arrest. But go ahead, arrest me. Because that would be the most attention you've ever paid me in my eighteen years of life." She said in a neutral tone, betraying none of the whirlwind she felt inside.

At his ex-daughter's reply, Charlie's face hardened into stone. He seemed to be arguing with himself. He turned towards the door, but almost immediately spun back, spitting out his final remarks. 

"My job is more important to me than anything. And I'd like to say I do it well. I won't let any personal issues come in the way of it or my integrity. That said, if I see you step one toe out of line, you aren't getting any special treatment. La Push may be out of my jurisdiction, but this is my town and I will not tolerate your shit." Charlie turned and walked out the door.

Bella almost immediately collapsed into Sam's waiting arms, emotionally spent. He took it in stride though as he lifted her into his arms as one would a small child. Holding her gently to him he used his free hand to grab the part waiting in Jim's outstretched one. With a small nod at the kind man, Sam turned and walked out the door.

The whole car ride, not a word was spoken. Sure it was awkward, but Sam figured Bella could use a few moments of silence. As soon as they returned home, however, she surprised him by racing out of the car and up into her room. He hurriedly removed the part from the back of the truck and placed it within the garage. Then, he too ran up into Bella's room.

When he reached her room, the sight before him brought tears to his eyes. Yes, actual tears to the big strong man. Who wouldn't cry if they found the person they love curled in a ball, sobbing? He rushed over to her and held her in his arms, as tight as he could. Yet, somehow, the small girl managed to push her way out, moving away from the stunned man. She sat to face him and said the longest and the hardest speech she had ever given.

"Sam. I… I love you. You know that, right?" she asked, earning a cautious nod. "Well, I really do. But that's the problem, I love you too much. I love you more than… more than I should. I, well, I love you more than a friend."

At this, Sam was surprised and overjoyed. Only in his wildest dreams had he hoped this beautiful girl would love him back. He made a move to come closer, but she held up her hand.

"I'm not done, Sammy… I can't love you. I'm sorry but I—" she choked on her words. "I can never love you. I can't love you the way you deserve to be loved. I can't even love you half as much as I should. I should never have fallen in love with you. I've learned the hard way that all those I love get hurt. And Sam, I can't see you get hurt. And I hope I'm not too late, I hope I haven't fallen too deep. Because you mean more to me than I ever thought possible and it really scares me. I don't want to lose you, but I can't put you in danger any longer."

"What are you saying? I thought you loved me? Bella, please don't ask me to give up what I've just gotten," Sam begged, tears threatening to fall.

"You don't get it Sam! Why won't you understand?! You can't have me. You can never have me. I'm no good for you! I'm no good for anyone. I don't want you to want me. I don't want you…" she almost yelled.

"Y-You don't _want_ me? I—Well. That changes things," he said, his tone hardening. "I guess I will just be going then. I never stay where I'm not wanted."

He stood quickly, his swift movements never betraying the storm within him. With one last glance backwards, one filled with hurt and pain, he walked towards the door. Bella, regretting her words, flew out of the bed, landing in an uncoordinated lump on the floor, a sharp pain shooting up her right ankle. Yet, this pain was miniscule compared to the agony of watching Sam walk away from her.

"Sam… ow, shit! Wait, Sammy, no. Th-that's not what I meant. Please stop!" She screamed at him, desperately limping her way along behind him, begging.

She was too slow, though. By the time she reached the top of the stairs, he was almost at the bottom. Yet, she didn't give up. Barely able to stand through the pain of her injuries, both mental and physical, she tried to hurry down the steep stairs. Grasping the bannister tightly, she pulled herself down two of the three flights of stairs. As she reached the final landing before the ground level, Sam turned back to look at her.

As she was paused, he didn't notice her leg. Had he seen it though, bent at the strangest angle, perhaps things may have ended differently. Sadly, though, all he saw was her panting, looking at him with a tearstained face, pleading at him with her doe brown eyes. He almost turned back, almost didn't walk away, but then he remembered. _He wasn't wanted here. _And so Sam turned his back and slammed the door.

At his movements, the last of Bella's strength failed, and everything turned black as she tumbled down the last flight of stairs.


	10. Gone Forever

"_It is madness for sheep to talk peace with the wolf."_

—_Thomas Fuller_

You know how there is this cliché idea that when you wake up in a hospital, everything always seems super bright, almost surreal? Yeah, that's a load of bull. There's no gradual rousing, no slight squinting invoked. It is not peaceful, it's not gentle. It is rude and glaring and _painful_. Very painful.

Bella groaned as she turned over in the most uncomfortable bed she had ever laid in. This was not healing, this was torture. It was constant watching and it was constant questions and it was a constant stream of _needles._ Oh god, Bella hated needles. She really hated them. But at least they provided a distraction.

She didn't think about Sam's hurt face when the doctor was setting her leg into place. She didn't think about those tears clouding his bronze irises when she herself was crying through pounding concussive headaches. And Bella most certainly did not think about Sam's turned back when those damn needles penetrated her skin. Yes, she knew it would end at some point. She knew she would go home soon. But oh god, it was so great to have the best distraction of all. _Pain_.

Yet, the pain was not constant, Sam still managed to stay on her mind through every free moment. Constant and cruel, the memories of him struck her like lightning drawn to the tallest tree. From her highest branches to her deepest roots, she was charred by the voltage, by every moment. It was like torture and it was like clarity. Pure clarity, the terrible kind that shows you every mistake you made and every word you should never have said. And oh, there were so many things she should not have said.

Sam was torn. He was torn in two. No, he was far more destroyed than that. It was as if his entire being had been obliterated. Sure, he probably sounded like some heartbroken teenage girl, but it was how he felt. There was no other explanation for the horrible ripping sensation he felt as he stormed out of the house. He began to run, the feeling only growing stronger as he neared the deep forests of La Push.

Suddenly, it turned physical. Running faster, Sam fell to his hands and knees. Yet, he kept moving, running, like some sort of dog, like some sort of…wolf? Faster and faster, he ran. He ran from Bella, from these strange thoughts. He ran and he ran and then he ran more. How much time had passed? The young man could not tell you. Trees blurred on either side of him, exhaustion seemingly a thing for weaker beings. And then suddenly, he came upon a lake. He stopped right at the edge, trembling in pain, both mental and physical. Looking down, Sam peered into the water, into his reflection, a reflection of a wolf. And he cried.


End file.
